Under existing laws, each agency reserves the right, if necessary, to discipline a federal employee for conduct inconsistent with federal anti-discrimination and whistleblower protection laws, up to and including dismissal. Nothing in the No FEAR Act modifies existing laws or allows an agency to take unfounded disciplinary action against a federal employee or violate the procedural rights of a federal employee accused of discrimination. A federal employee who has the authority to take administrative action, instruct, take, recommend or authorize other persons cannot use that power to take, refrain, threaten or refrain from taking human resources measures against an employee or candidate because that person has disclosed information that may reasonably be believed to be evidence of violations of the law. rule or regulation; serious mismanagement; gross waste of funds; abuse of authority; or a significant and specific threat to public health or safety, unless the disclosure of such information is expressly prohibited by law and such information is expressly required by implementing regulations to keep secret in the interests of national defence or the conduct of foreign affairs. If you believe you are being retaliated against for participating in protected activities, you may need to follow the procedures outlined in the Anti-Discrimination Laws and Whistleblower Protection Laws sections or, where applicable, the administrative or negotiated grievance procedures to appeal. “The fact that innovation comes from new sources is wonderful for society,” Torrance said. “But the legal system is better at stifling citizen innovation than encouraging and protecting it. Eric and I are concerned that if you do not recognize this important source of innovation and protect it from over-regulation and overzealous use of intellectual property, you risk destroying it, just as we used to destroy wetlands. In both cases, we must celebrate these precious commodities and use the law to ensure they survive and thrive. A federal agency shall not discriminate against an employee or applicant with respect to the terms, conditions, or privileges of employment based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or political affiliation. Discrimination on these grounds is prohibited by one or more of the following statutes: 5 U.S.C. 2302(b)(1), 29 U.S.C.

206(d), 29 U.S.C. 631, 29 U.S.C. 633a, 29 U.S.C. 791, and 42 U.S.C. 2000e-16. If you believe you have been unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex, national origin or disability, you must contact an Equal Opportunities Adviser within 45 calendar days of the alleged discriminatory practice or, in the case of a personal action, within 45 calendar days of the effective date of the measure. before you can file a formal complaint of discrimination with your agency. See, for example, 29 CFR § 1614. If you believe you have been unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of age, you must either contact an Equal Employment Opportunity Advisor as described above or notify the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) of your intention to file a complaint within 180 days of the alleged discrimination. If you allege discrimination based on marital status or political affiliation, you may file a written complaint with the Office of the Special Counsel (OSC) (see contact information below).

You can also file a complaint of discrimination through your authority`s administrative or negotiated grievance procedures, where such procedures apply and are available. “Even the FDA recognizes that there`s not much you can do to stop citizen innovation. When you think about it from an ethical perspective, regulators should generally celebrate such improvements and not try to stop them,” Torrance said.